Why Post on Snaggedline

[Mark]

A topic tangential to the above arose on another thread. However, rather than divert that one away from its main topic – Moc’s excellent crabbing video -- I thought I would start a new one.

Here goes:

The variety and number of posters here has declined. We do have a group of regulars but some formerly active forum participants have vanished.

I imagine some have moved on to other hobbies.

Some may still be fishing but no longer fishing from kayaks. We’ve seen discussion here about electronic propulsion. Perhaps motors are a natural evolution for kayaker anglers.

Although this is by far the most congenial fishing forum I have ever read, there have been a few rare volatile disagreements leading some to abandon the site.

Some may be kayak fishing but sharing their info elsewhere -- among closed groups, or maybe Facebook, or their own blogs for commercial gain.

On the other hand, some may have found success and do not want to share their techniques and spots. Frankly, I’ve never understood why anyone goes to the trouble to post a photo of a fish they caught with no explanation of how they caught it or even a hint of where. Ultra-secrecy in fishing defies logic in my opinion. Fish may swim to new areas daily or by the hour or even by the minute as breaking stripers are wont to do. The Chesapeake has roughly 4,500 square miles. Is saying that you caught a fish casting a spinnerbait in the Severn revealing anything that will be detrimental to your future success?

I also think certain amount of synergy on this forum has been lost with the ever-changing dates of the CBKA tournament in recent years and finally its demise in 2019. The tournament was an end goal for many posters and a constant discussion point throughout the year – and a great deal of unsung work for those who organized it.

The decline of the number of Meet & Greets has also been a factor. I don’t know if their loss is a cause or an effect of fewer posts but the fact that fewer forum participants are publicly gathering to kayak fish has deterred posting here.

Although the developers of Snaggedline segmented topics by location, tidal and nontidal, and even included a fly-fishing heading, this forum is predominantly about Chesapeake Bay tidal angling. The other categories seem to generate less interest.

I think there is also a demographic reason for declining posts. I believe I can safely categorize most of the people on this forum as either retired or still working. Most of the retirees have more time to kayak fish at favorable times than those still in the workforce. Many posts do come from retirees. However, depending on where you are on the retirement spectrum you may be sandwiched between caring for elderly parents and grandchildren at the same time. That will definitely inhibit your time on the water.

As one in that category just mentioned, I struggled this year not only finding time on the water but finding something new to say. I try to be instructive in my posts but I realize I have long passed into the point of repetitiveness. Although some may think otherwise, I have refrained from posting somewhat in 2019 as a result. I do wish we had other and newer voices here.

Moving to the other side of the equation, for younger working participants kayak fishing is not an inexpensive hobby. Even a used paddle kayak and the necessary tackle and ancillary gear will require $2,000 easily. Pedal drives will quickly double that amount. My point is that I think it’s hard for younger people to get deeply into this hobby while managing their money, careers, marriages and children. I can understand why our regular contributors seem to be older.

So... I’d like to see this on Snaggedline:

No end to the civility demonstrated here. It has been remarkably free of rude keyboard warriors spreading discontent. Let’s keep it that way.

More informative trip reports in the nature of the SMOG members, Veil, and others here who discuss specific techniques and let us know in general terms where they are kayak fishing.

More reports and interest in freshwater kayak fishing.

More reports/interest on kayak fly fishing.

Newer posters. Everyone has something to contribute, even the person who just completed their maiden kayak fishing voyage.

So why post on Snaggedline? Because kayak fishing is a wonderful hobby that allows a multitude of fishing techniques suitable in a variety of waters. We should never run short of topics nor an audience willing to listen to them. The key is to keep those posts coming. Please do!

[bluefishnc]

I think another reason is because of media like Facebook where numbers are usually higher and responses/feedback are usually quicker.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

Yep. Agree. Message boards are dying for just this reason. Snapchat, Facebook, instagram etc... have killed them. Us older dogs are used to slower feedback and enjoy the process but the younger generation under 30 tend to have the attention span of gnats and deal in instant feedback and "likes". Throw in the fact that once you get into this hobby you quickly realize that the truly productive places for kayak fishing in the bay are not easy to find and 99% of the water is mostly worthless. If you find a spot nobody else is fishing most folks quickly realize it will get burned quick if they are not careful. Success in the current world of diminishing bay fish returns yields secrecy for those that are lucky and or skilled enough to have it.

[ronaultmtd]

The SMOG crew had this discussion among ourselves recently...Big Mike was the originator of the observation...observing that perhaps 10 posters had been active on the forum...Gary and I gave our views of why...but to the point of “burning a spot”...we have sponsored several meet and greet in Southern Maryland and taken many to our “spots” and shared our techniques, lures, colors, etc. -it did not adversely affect our success long term nor measurably affect the success rates of our visitors, although a few reported good catches. So the concern of secrecy is mostly misplaced due to the fact every trip is different.

[Yak67]

Thanks Mark for your great Post about the decline Post on SL. It's Scary but the SMOG crew had this very discussion yesterday! So you are on point.

I was doing good for 5-minutes while my tech guy (son) was still living with me, since he has moved I get stuck in Tech-No-Phobia Land and forget how to upload pics with my post. Your Post has inspired me to do better.

Yak67
2017 Hobie PA-12 Camo
2019 Hobie Outback

[mchottie]

Why do I post on snaggedline?

Because MARK doesn't have facebook!

[thedutchtouch]

I'm active in a few Facebook groups, but nothing that comes close to the quality information I've read on here. Perhaps I'm in the wrong Facebook groups. I don't go out enough to post much more, but do come here to see what's new a few times a week at minimum. Please keep posting, I'll try to as well.

[Mark]

Why do I post on snaggedline?

Because MARK doesn't have facebook!

That's funny Michael. Actually, I do have an account. But I rarely post and I have an embarrassingly few number of "friends" because I login too infrequently to respond to their requests. I got it mainly to view the FSFF Facebook page.

[J.A. Veil]

I post some of my fishing reports on Snaggedline and others on Facebook. From a selfish or egotistical perspective, when I post a fishing report on Facebook, I usually get a few comments and a bunch of "Likes" pretty quickly. When I post about the same trip on Snaggedline, I generally get fewer than 5 replies, and they are often from the same group of members. The positive feedback from Facebook is considerably greater than what I see on here.

To give a recent example. I posted 10 days ago about a magnificent kayak fishing trip I had in Florida two weeks ago. This "bucket list" trip involved catching many species, including three species of sharks to 4', barracuda to 3.5', and an amazing 100-lb tarpon -- all from a kayak. I had 8 brief replies on Snaggedline. When I posted similar information on two Facebook posts, I had 18 comments and 70 Likes on the first report, and 15 comments and 50 Likes on the second post.

I fully support Mark's initiative to try to get more posters back on Snaggedline. I have noticed a decline in participation in all phases of Snaggedline over the past few years. I will continue to make some posts about my fishing trips here and will include more details on how I fished here than on Facebook. My kayak outing this afternoon was my 151st fishing day in 2019. Probably 2/3 of those were kayak trips.

I don't plan to report every trip, but try to make reports when I feel I can share some useful information about techniques or recent catching trends. In that vein, this afternoon I visited a Severn tidal pond that has not produced any pickerel for the past two winters. I was really pleased to catch 13 small (<12") pickerel and 7 white perch in the pond -- all in depths of 2' or less. I had follows on at least another 25 casts. All fish hit a white Bignose spinnerbait. I also threw a Gulp swimming mullet. I had a few bites, but none of the fish stayed hooked up. I started fishing the pond at low tide and found the pickerel in two shallow corners. After an hour I left and fished elsewhere. 90 mins later I returned to the pond -- by now the tide had come in making the water much deeper. I did a quick sweep of the pond and found no fish where they had been earlier but got a few in a spot that had been too shallow before. That observation was news to me -- I did not realize they were that sensitive to water depth.

Years ago, when I started doing social media fishing posts, I often gave details about exactly where I fished and where I caught fish. I realized that giving that much detail on a public chatboard is risky. I try to explain generally where I was, what depths, physical features, or habitats were successful without saying things like "I caught many fish behind the red house with a Grady White docked at the pier behind." I still share that level of detail on private emails with a few friends, but will not give that intel away to the masses.

[Mark]

While I can understand the desire to share on Facebook, I see a big difference between that platform and Snaggedline. To me Facebook offers what I believe a minister would call “cheap grace”. You post something and someone replies positively by simply clicking a “thumbs up” button. I know you can offer comments too. But most of the feedback I’ve seen on the site during my limited visits is the one-click variety.

The difference here is that you can get detailed information for feedback. And I think that’s what we should be striving to share and receive on Snaggedline. A thumbs up would mean little to me if I was a frequent Facebook poster. Do people keep score on such things? I appreciate it on Snaggedline when someone validates or counters what I have posted by writing a detailed explanation. Why? Because I’ve learned something. My ego has not been bolstered with “likes” that I care nothing about anyway.

As to “spot burning”, I am not suggesting that. I think Ron and John have said it best in this thread. Ron is absolutely right. The SMOG’s M&G last summer attracted a lot of folks. It was great. We all spread out. There was plenty of room and plenty of fish caught at multiple sites. Did the SMOG continue to catch fish there after we left? Their reports here validated that they did. Similarly, John’s sharing of techniques on various bodies of water has not harmed his future success on those same waters.

The areas we fish are large. Further, I could do very well in a particular location at a given time and go back a day later, an hour later, and get skunked. So called “honey holes” accessible to kayakers in tidal fishing are not the norm and are usually temporary. If you have one keep it to yourself if you want. But really, there is no harm in discussing techniques, lure colors, lure types, depth, tides, etc. Those factors are not exclusive to any one fishing location and can provide good information for new and experienced kayak anglers. If we cannot/will not share, why participate in Snaggedline at all?

OK…I’m done on this topic. I promise. I simply hope that this forum continues to be (or returns to being) a top-notch reference site for local kayak anglers. It will if we take care of it properly.

Thanks,

[CarsonNash]

Interesting observations, and all valid points. While my situation is probably unique, it is hard to find time around school, social events, and my shooting sports to fish. I have to to try hard to set aside my time. I also have become slightly burnt out with launching from the same place, time after time. I am looking forward to when I can start driving my kayak to different launches throughout the region- it is much easier to transport then a 8,000 lb boat.... Also, with a new fishing center console in the family recently, my attention has been there. Due to the fact that I am not kayak fishing much, I don't have that much to post. I still long on to see what others are saying. I know this post was not exactly aimed at me because I have not been around for long, but that is my .02. I still appreciate the sense of community and courtesy on this forum, that is un-paralleled anywhere else on the internet.

[FishMoken]

I will say that I have been on but not as active on my posts the last two seasons. We made the move from Germantown to Westminster. While we love the area there isnt much in the way of fishing out this way. Most of my trips involve a 2 hour round trip drive so being able to put my time in like I use to when Little Seneca lake was practically in my back yard has been a had adjustment.

One major thing I miss is the meet and greet schedule. That was great for new kayak anglers in our area as it gave them info on a new body of water as well as people there to bounce ideas off of. While I wasnt able to attend most of them the ones I did, I will say were a blast! I will never forget launching out of Ft. Smallwood for the first time chasing down a bunch of birds working a school of bait and having BOTH rods go down.

While my schedule has changed many times over the last few years I still do miss those monthly meet ups. As I kayak fish alone most of the time. And honeslty if the fish aren't biting it not only makes for a long day but a even longer trip back home. While my success on the water hasent been as good as in years past my question is, are the reports still as useful to those of us on the forum? Im glad to post but who wants to read about a "nature day" as I like to call them [emoji23].

One thing I do plan on doing is local reviews again on my new kayaks and how they work for how I fish in our area. I always thought that was useful info.

There might not be as many of us posting but im sure there are still plenty of storys left to tell! Hope to see yall on the water!

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

[ronaultmtd]

One suggestion would be to add subtopic forums of waters above DC and waters below DC in the Maryland forum...the folks down South rarely fish above DC and the same for the Annapolis crew...it would add an area of interest to improve the feedback from the posters who fish primarily in those areas...

[belairfishing]

Mark,

As always, a very thoughtful and insightful post from you. My thoughts are these:

- Snaggedline is one of the primary reasons I got into kayak fishing. I found it as a resource when I was researching my first kayak purchase and became a member right away. I have made friends, bought and sold gear, and have enjoyed the camaraderie and overall fellowship that exists here.

- I don't do Facebook, Instagram, etc. I don't post fishing reports for "likes." I post them to share knowledge and experience. This will sound worse than I mean it to, but the whole concept of Facebook and Instagram (to me) is more about vanity and boasting than it is about having a meaningful discussion about fishing tactics, gear, etc.

- This board is going through what most boards go through at some point, based on my experience. I have seen excellent boards actually disappear (riversmallies is one I can think of, although it came back under new organizers) and others have floundered for a long time.

- I used to participate in a Delaware fishing forum, and of the rules of membership was you were required to post 3 times per month. It could be something as simple as "Thanks for the report" but if you didn't do that, you would get a warning, then you would get kicked off. I'm not sure that required participation is the solution, but it's one way to handle it I guess.

- Like most things that require participation, it often ends up that 10% of the people to 80% of the work. And that seems to be what is happening here.

- Other boards are going through the same thing right now. I know there is some crossover between Snaggedline and Tidalfish, and someone posted a similar question over there recently..."How many people here actually participate?"

- Sometimes life gets in the way...When I first started fly fishing about 12 years ago, I found several really good fly fishing boards that I would read on a daily basis, and contribute to regularly. Then my Mom got sick with Alzheimers, and I changed jobs twice in 6 months, and had a granddaughter. I stopped participating in all of those things completely, and when I got back to a place where I could participate, all of the same core guys were still there, posting reports and questions, just like here on SL.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't take it personally when participation starts to dwindle, it's just the normal cycle of things. It also makes me appreciate posts from guys like Ron or John who give excellent, detailed reports, and maybe I should go out of my way to acknowledge them more often, and engage in some follow up discussion with them.

Thanks,

Steve

[CHOC]

Mark,

Good post. I know I spend a lot of time on Facebook on boards that are very specific to the fishing that I do (Wilderness Systems, Torqeedo, Solo Skiff, etc). However, I spend as much time here as I do on those.

I would add that an additional factor to the decline of posts on this page is the fishing itself is not as good as it's been in previous years. When the fishing is more difficult, the learning curve is more steep and fewer new anglers are inclined to get into the sport. Just a thought.

[bignose]

I think that in some ways, we are a victim of our own success.
We have done such a good job of popularizing kayak fishing, that we may have reached a plateau in membership, and fishing opportunities.
In the past couple of years, I have seen a significant increase in folks fishing some of the more accessible, popular areas.

It is not surprising that a lot of fisherman are no longer posting. Like several of the other sites I post on, the lurkers outnumber the regular posters 10 to 1. I don't post as often as I used to, my fishing time has become more limited. Plus, a lot of my posts have become repetitious. I like the leisurely pace at which I can access this site, unlike the continuously changing Facebook.

I have made a lot of friends on this site.
Compared to several of the other fishing sites, this one is almost always free from the nonsense....very few political comments, and other assorted BS that caused me to leave, i.e. TidalFish.